Hastings claims LAAC golf championship title for Cayman

(CNS): Caymanian golfer Justin Hastings claimed the title of the 10th annual Latin American Amateur Championship on Saturday at the Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, giving the Cayman Islands its second champion in four editions following Aaron Jarvis’s win in 2022.

Due to forecasts of bad weather at the course on Sunday, the third round started earlier on Saturday to get both that and the fourth round finished ahead of the weather, leading to a “mammoth day of golf for all competitors”, the Cayman Islands Golf Association said.

In a press release about the event, the association explained that Hastings entered Saturday tied for the lead after two rounds, having posted a tournament-low round of 65 and was joined there by Peru’s Patrick Sparks.

After a solid round of play Saturday morning, he had a four-shot lead heading into the final round. A brief suspension of play for bad weather ahead of the start “added to the drama as the players finished under the lights with the daylight fading fast,” the CIGA stated.

Round 4 was a gritty performance from Hastings, whose lead fluctuated up and down, including a tee shot out of bounds on the par-5 thirteenth hole, giving his competitors hope. Entering the par 3 17th hole, the tournament was between Hastings and playing partner Sparks, who were tied at 16 under par.

A short missed putt from Sparks led to a bogey and, like the daylight, a dimming of his hopes. Hastings was left to lag his birdie putt on the 18th to 10 inches and tap in for par to win by one stroke.

Hastings’ win was even more special as he did it while his father, Rich, was caddying for him.

“The whole of Cayman, not just the golf community, is incredibly proud of Justin,” said the CIGA President, Daniel Fortune. “He has threatened to win this before with his fourth place in Panama last year and to get it done this year is a great achievement. The 36 holes of golf on Saturday and the weather delay would have been a huge challenge both physically and mentally, but the beautiful tee shot he hit on the final hole showed just how dialled in he still was after everything that had gone on.”

Cayman has been punching above its weight in the sport, the CIGA said, and this is further evidence of it. “Everything that has been put in place is with the help of our title sponsor, Grant Thornton, and the support received from the R&A,” Fortune added.

Greg O’Driscoll, Partner, Head of Asset Management and Business Development at Grant Thornton, one of the sponsors, said they were incredibly proud of what Justin has accomplished.

“Justin has already accomplished so much, but it’s important for everyone to remember he is just 21 — he’s just getting started,” O’Driscoll said. “It’s an exciting time for the Hastings family. Huge congratulations to Niki and Rich as well. Their commitment to Justin’s golf development has been a huge factor in his success to date and will continue to be going forward. We are extremely fortunate to have Justin as part of Team GT, and we are behind him all the way.”